Ball-bearing.



' A Patented Dec. I6, |902. T. J.- FRASER.V

BALL BEARING. v

Applicata med my 21. 1902.)

*(Il, Modal.)

NITED STATESL PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS FRASER AND JAMES FRASER, OF HAMILTON, SCOTLAND.

BALL-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 15,77 9, datedDecember 16, 1902.

Application fuea May 21,1902.

To all t1/howl, it may con/cern:

Beit known that we, THOMAS FRASER, master baker, of 1l Saifrow Place,and JAMES FRASER, master Shoemaker, of 27 Almada street, Hamiltonicountyof Lanark, Scotland, subjects of the King of Great Britain, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball-Bearings, of whichthe following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in ball-bearings, and will beunderstood from the ensuing description.

By way of example we will describe our invention as applied to theball-bearings ofthe bottom bracket of a bicycle, reference being made tothe drawings annexed, whereon- Figure l is a longitudinal section takenthrough the bottom bracket and showing the ball-bearings and crank-axle.Fig. 2 is an end View, and Fig. 3 a side view, of the sleeve. Fig. 4 isa section taken through the bottom bracket, but showing the sleeve andballs in elevation. Fig. 5 is a drawing on Mercators projection, showingone end of the sleeve with the balls. Fig. 6 is a diagram.

ct is the bottom bracket; b, the crank-axle; c, the usual cups, and dthe balls.

The bottoni bracket isof the usual construction, and the crank-axlewhich passes through the same has fitted on it a freely-moving sleeve e,which is provided at each end with a cup or ring j, having a number oflateral projections or prongs g. This sleevel e is cupped at the endsand runs upon small balls z', which work on cones j on the axle.

The axle revolves upon the large balls d, working between cups and conesin the usual manner, and these balls are isolated from one another bythe prongs or projections g at the ends of the freely-moving sleeve. Thecups or rings f are provided with small projections or teeth h for thepurpose of keeping the balls in place when the parts of the bearing arebeing fitted together or taken asunder.

The freelymoving sleeve is preferably made in two parts screwed adjustably together and tted in place on the axle. The

parts are held in the adjusted position by a jam-nut k.

The two sizes of balls d c' used in the bearing are of the kindordinarily employed in this class of work. y

As shown at Figs. 2 and 3, the long prongs or teeth g, which project outto the center Serial No. 108,319. (No model.)

line of the balls d, are bent inward to a slight extent and are beveledat their ends, while the short teeth h are bent outward slightly (seealso Fig. 4) and are also beveled at their ends.

Asis well known, when the bearing is being adjusted or cleaned the ballsare very apt to fall out and be lost, and for this reason it is usual tohold them in position, as far as possible, by means of a stifflubricant. In the present invention the outwardly-turned teeth 7L, inconnection with the long prongs or fingers g, form a series of cradles,which retain the balls in position without the necessity of a bindingmaterial until the cups are adj usted. A

It is to be carefully noted that the large balls d are not jammedbetween the prongs g, but have each a free space to work in, so thatthey may turn with as little rubbing friction as possible. The sleevedoes no actual work, as it merely serves to keep the balls d apart fromone another, and thereby prevent the one rubbing against the other andproducing a braking action. This braking action will be understood fromFig. 6, where D represents the axle turning in the direction of itsarrow and A, B, and C three balls rubbing against one another. Now whilethe axle D tends to turn the ball A in the direction of its arrow theball A tends to turn the balls B C in the direction of their arrows andagainst the direction of movement produced by the action of the axle,thereby setting up a strong braking action and creating much frictionand loss of driving power.

Having now fully described our invention,

of April, 1902.

THOMAS FRASER. JAMES FRASER. Witnesses:

HUGE D. F1TZPATR1GK, WILLIAM GALL.

IOO

